


You're Next

by Thefemalearrow



Category: Love Simon (2018), Simonverse | Creekwood Series - Becky Albertalli
Genre: A healthy dosage of Martin Addison bashing in chapter two, Alternate Blue Identity Reveal (Creekwood), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Leah Burke, Canon - Book & Movie Combination, Characters Are in Fandom, Coming Out, Drama, Homophobia, Leah Burke & Simon Spier friendship, Most of the characters are theater nerd, Multi, Mystery, Non-Graphic Violence, Threats of Violence, character being hit by a car
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 9,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29098590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thefemalearrow/pseuds/Thefemalearrow
Summary: Simon thought the worst thing that would happen to him that Christmas was being outed. Then he got a threatening message from an anonymous number. He shrugged it off at first, but what happens when other LGBTQ+ students at his school, even the closeted ones? How will this affect his relationship with the mysterious Blue? And what happens when people start acting on these threats?
Relationships: Alice Spier & Emily Spier & Jack Spier & Nora Spier & Simon Spier, Bram Greenfeld & Garrett Laughlin, Bram Greenfeld/Simon Spier, Leah Burke & Cal Price, Leah Burke & Nick Eisner & Simon Spier & Abby Suso
Comments: 65
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! This is book and movie compliant. I'm taking elements from both. If you've only watched the movie or read the book, you'll be able to understand this. Now, on with the story!
> 
> TW: a small amount of homophobia at the end.

Simon couldn't believe his eyes. Martin Addison had just outed him. Most people at school had already seen it, including Blue. Simon ran his hand through his hair, staring at the floor. He tried to keep his breathing steady.

"Si, are you okay?" Leah asked. He had forgotten that he was on a call with Leah. He picked up his phone, his hands trembling as if he had fallen into a pile of snow. Leah read the panic on her best friend's face.

"I have to go," Simon stuttered out. Before Leah could protest, Simon ended the call. He got up from his desk and flopped onto his bed. He put his pillow on his face, and he screamed. He kicked the air as tears streamed down his face.

Somebody was knocking on the door. "Simon, please let me in," Nora called. Of course, Nora had already seen the post. That meant he should come out to the rest of his family now. His phone was blowing up from texts. He assumed they were probably from his friends or other people from school. He just laid there, thinking of what was to come next.  
\---  
The next day was Christmas. Simon tried to keep up appearances and hide he went to sleep crying the previous night. He was on the couch, sat between Nora and his golden retriever, Bieber.

Once the final gift was open, Simon decided to speak up. "Um, so while we're all here I have something to say," Simon said, awkwardly. Nora looked up to him, giving him a knowing look.

"Let me guess," Jack Spier said. "You got someone pregnant. No wait, you're pregnant."

"Yes dad, I'm indeed pregnant," Simon joked. "The baby is Leah's, and I'm keeping it."

"I knew it, Emily," Jack said, gesturing to his wife. "He's glowing."

"No, I'm not actually pregnant," Simon said, suddenly getting serious. "And I got no one pregnant. It's quite the opposite actually. I'm gay."

The room then went silent. Simon sat down, sucking on the left side of his cheek. "Wow bub, that's big," Alice, Simon's older sister, said. She rested her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for telling us."

"So which one did it?" Jack asked. "Which one of your exes turned you off woman? Was it the one with the thick glasses? Oh, I know, it was the one with the funky eyebrows. I didn't say anything, but she was-"

"Oh my gosh, you can't just say stuff like that," Alice groaned.

"What I'm just joking," Jack said. "Simon knows we love him."

"No one is laughing," Alice said. Simon looked to his mom.

"This is huge," Emily said. "Talk me through this, please."

The familiarity of his family's reactions was as comforting as a warm blanket. His older sister and dad were getting political, his mom was going full psychologist, and Nora was being quiet.

Simon excused himself from the living room. He went to his bedroom, knowing he should text his friends. He flopped onto his bed and unplugged his phone. He wondered if Blue put together that he and Jacques were the same person.

He opened his latest text. It was from a number that he didn't recognize. It was a photo of a wall. It was only litten up by Christmas lights, and there was something painted in red paint.

'Merry Christmas, gay boy. It might be your last.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Homophobia throughout the story.

Winter break went by quickly for Simon. Alice was back in Connecticut for college and the post on Creekwood secrets was taken down. The damage was already done. Simon hadn't made a statement if the contents of the post were true, so most of his classmates guessed it was. He had gotten messages from people, claiming to be interested in taking him up on his offer. Simon figured most of them were trolls.

Simon was parked in front of the school, but he was still clutching his car's stirring wheel. He was about to face his classmates for the first time since he was outed. Blue was probably in the school already. He hadn't mentioned knowing that Simon was Jacques, so Simon hoped he hadn't seen the post.

Simon slowly climbed out of the car. He kept his head low. A few students watched as he entered the school. He passed Martin, who couldn't even look at him. He wanted to avoid Martin at all cost. The blonde knew he'd have to face Martin that afternoon at rehearsal for the school's upcoming musical, but he wanted to ignore him till then.

He was stopped by two sophomore girls. One had long, bright-pink hair, and the other was blonde. "Hey, I'm Rochelle," the one with blonde hair said. "This is my girlfriend, Tiffany. We wanted to give you our numbers if you ever needed to talk."

"Thanks," Simon murmured. They gave him two slips of paper.

"Call us anytime," Tiffany said. "Day or night."

They then walked away. Simon made his way to his locker. Abby and Leah were chatting. Abby was resting her head on a locker that wasn't Simon's. Simon quickly put the number into his locker.

"That's not it," Abby said. "Why would they do it?"

"A lot of people are desperate to be the person who makes next big Creekwood Secrets post," Leah said. "Spencer Washington is one of those people. How he came up with it, I don't know. But he's on the top of my suspect list."

"What are you two talking about?" Simon asked.

"We're trying to figure out who made that post about you," Leah said. "I think it's Spencer from the soccer team."

Simon knew it wasn't Spencer. Sure, Spencer was a jerk, and might out someone one day, but Simon knew it was Martin. All because Abby didn't like him back, no matter how much Simon tried to talk him up. He couldn't blame her for not liking Martin. He was a terrible person.

"How are you holding up?" Abby asked.

"As good as I can be," Simon sighed.

"You don't have to answer, but I have to ask," Leah said. "Is it-"

"Yes," Simon said. "It's true. I'm gay, but I didn't make that post."

"We know," Nick said, walking up. "And I'm prepared to beat the crap out of whoever made that post."

"Thanks," Simon said, with a forced chuckle. He knew his friends wouldn't have a problem with him being gay, but he didn't say anything because he knew it would change everything. He wondered how long it would be until Abby, Morgan, and Anna were going through a list of potential boyfriends for him.

The bell then rang, signaling it was time to go to the first period. "Bye guys," Simon said, as the group disbanded.  
\---  
After school, Bram was getting ready for soccer practice. The first game of the season was that weekend. He was tying his tennis shoes as Garrett Laughlin entered the locker room. "So when are you going to tell him," Garrett said, once he saw it was just the two of them.

"Tell who what?" Bram asked, looking up.

"Tell Simon that you like him," Garrett exclaimed. "You've been crushing hard on him for years. Now you know you have a realistic chance with him."

"I don't know if I will," Bram said. "I get so bashful when I'm around him. He's so cute and funny. Also, I think he and that Cal Price guy has something going on. You know, the one from the drama department?"

"I know Cal," Garrett said. "You won't know if you don't try. They could just be friends."

"How about this?" Bram asked. "I'll tell Simon I like him when you tell Leah you like her."

"And potentially lose my head if I make her angry?" Garrett asked. "No thanks."

"I thought you said you thought her feisty attitude hot?" Bram asked.

"I do, but she still scares me," Garrett said. "She's so confident, and she always says what's on her mind. She hasn't picked up on my flirting, so I don't think she's interested. Simon, however, has always been super friendly with you."

"Leah Burke, the only girl in school who Garrett is too scared to make a move on," Bram joked. "Maybe I'll tell Simon I like him. I just need to get the confidence to say it."

They then left the locker room and went to the soccer field.  
\---  
Leah walked with Anna, Morgan, and Nora to the music room. They were in a band together called 'Emoji.' A girl named Taylor Metternich was their lead singer, but she was in the school musical, so she wasn't free to practice till the show was over. Morgan was taking over for lead vocals until she came back.

"We should perform 'You Could Be Mine' by Guns'N'Roses for the school talent show," Morgan suggested. The talent show was going to be their first public performance. They had been practicing for it since the band formed in November. They hadn't decided on a song yet.

"You have the music taste of my dad," Nora joked. "Asides, Taylor doesn't have the time to learn a new song. The talent show is less than a month away. Whatever we pick, it's going to be something we've been practicing from before Christmas break."

Leah unlocked the music room door, but she stopped in the doorway. The lights were already on, and something was painted in red on the wall. There was also a doll that looked like Leah. The doll also had a noose around her neck.

'Leah Burke couldn't choose between guys or girls. So she chose death.'


	3. Chapter 3

After play rehearsal, Simon left the school. He and Abby parted ways since she was taking the city bus home. Simon managed to avoid Martin for most of the practice. They weren't focusing on the ensemble that much, so Simon mostly just watched in the audience during rehearsal.

Simon saw that Leah was sitting on a bench. He was confused since Leah usually went home straight after school. He walked over to her. "Hey, Le," Simon said. "I thought you would be home by now."

"I had something to do after school," Leah murmured. Simon knew something was off. Leah only acted like this when something was on her mind. It wasn't one of her angry murmurs.

"What's wrong?" Simon asked.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Leah asked, playing with her hair. Another classic sign that something was on Leah's mind. "I already told Nora, Morgan, Anna, and my mom. I don't want to tell anyone else yet."

"Sure," Simon said.

"I'm bisexual," Leah said. She didn't skip a beat before talking. "I didn't know if I ever wanted to come out. I always pictured I'd tell you guys by introducing you to my girlfriend one day. But under new circumstances, I wanted you to learn from me first."

"I'm glad you told me," Simon said as she pulled out her phone. She opened her camera roll and showed him the newest photo. It was how she found the music room earlier. Simon felt his stomach twist.

"I don't know who would do this," Leah said, hugging her knees. "I've only ever told my mom. What if whoever did this was the same person who outed you? What if they have special connections? What if they do something more than outing you?"

Simon had never seen Leah this scared before. He knew he had to tell her. "It wasn't who outed me," Simon reassured her. "I know who that was. It was Martin Addison. It's a long story, but he did it because he had a personal vendetta against me. That's the only reason. I also got a similar message."

"Really?" Leah asked. Simon nodded and showed her the text he got on Christmas. Simon wondered if the person who was sending the message got to Blue already. "We need to alert someone. Even if this is just some jerk, this is freaky."

"Should we go to the police?" Simon asked.

"I don't know if this is enough to go to the police yet," Leah said. "The principal would be a better option. This is a school problem since that was in the music room. We'll go first thing in the morning."

"Good thinking," Simon said. "Why were you in the music room anyway?"

'Emoji' was a secret Leah was keeping from Simon. She didn't want it to be a big deal, and the others agreed. He'd find out the night of the talent show. "I left my bookbag in there," Leah lied. She had been taking drum lessons for two years, but that was a secret. She thought about joining the school band, but she realized she couldn't do all of the football games.

Simon's phone vibrated. Their hearts stopped when they saw the text. It was another message written in red, and the only lighting coming from a string of Christmas lights.

Unknown: If you tell, we won't stop at killing it.  
\---  
Simon arrived at school the next morning. He and Leah hadn't told anyone yet. They hoped it was just a scary coincidence, and the others seemed to keep quiet as well. Simon opened his locker, and a note fell out.

'Dear Jacques,

I know who you are, and it makes me like you more. I'm ready to meet if you are. I'll be at the top of the stadium at five. Meet me there, and I hope that you're not disappointed.

\- Blue'

Simon smiled at the note. He would find learn who Blue was, and he would be able to warn him about the messages. He was going to do it, knowing that this could lead to dire consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was a weird chapter. The next one is going to be a rollercoaster. I looked forward to, and dread, bringing it to you guys. See you later. I love you all!


	4. Chapter 4

Leah remembered something during lunch. When she was thirteen, she had a private Tumblr none of her friends knew about. It was entirely possible she may have mentioned being bisexual a few times on it. She had used the school computers to get on it a few times. Anyone could have looked over and seen it.

She opened the Tumblr app on her phone. The account hadn't been used in years, but she never deactivated it. She typed in the name "L_on_the_offbeat" and clicked the only name that came up. Her profile picture was some fanart she drew of Misa Amana from Deathnote.

She scrolled through some posts. Most of it was fanart, which, to her surprise, were still being reblogged to this day. She then came to a post. It was the kind of post Leah thought she would find.

"I should have known I was bi when I had the hots for both Beck AND Jade from Victorious as a kid."  
\---  
Simon sat on the bleachers after rehearsal. He checked his phone. It was five minutes after five. If Blue didn't show up in a few minutes, he'd leave. The football field was empty since the season was over. In the offseason, it was a popular destination for picnics.

"Sorry I'm late," someone called. Simon recognized the voice and turned his head around. He saw Bram was there. Cute Bram with the soccer calves. He took a seat beside Simon.

"Hey," Simon said.

"Hello," Bram said. They were quiet for a few moments.

"It's you," Simon said.

"Yeah," Bram said. They smiled at each other for a few moments. Bram reached for Simon's hand, and he took it. "I knew it was you before your emails were leaked. That just solidified it for me. Are you disappointed that it's me?"

"Not at all," Simon said, smiling. He wanted to lean over and kiss Bram, but he remembered the threats. He didn't want Bram to get one, or worse. He knew they should take this elsewhere.

"Simon," Bram said, capturing his other hand. "I think I'm ready to be out and with you. I'll do it if you want to. I just want to be with you, as sappy as that sounds. I've liked you way before Blue and Jacques."

"I want that too," Simon said. He couldn't believe that cute Bram Greenfeld had a crush on him. That sweet, shy soccer jock that sat at his lunch table. The same boy who wore a cheerleading uniform for gender-bend day every year with the other soccer bros. That same boy had a crush on him. It almost made him forget the other matter they had to discuss.

"Can we get out of here?" Simon asked. "There's something I need to tell you in private. Well, more private than this."

"Of course," Bram said. "Where are you thinking?"

"My place," Simon said. Simon released Bram's hands from his grip. Bram furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I'll tell you when we get home."

They walked to the parking lot. They walked in silence. "Please tell me what's going on," Bram pleaded.

"When we get to my place," Simon said. He could tell Bram was getting slightly fed up, even though he tried to hide it. Simon let out a sigh. "Look, someone has been sending-"

He suddenly pushed Bram into the grass. He sat up and saw a car barreling in Simon's direction. Bram closed his eyes for the impact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love yall, and I have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers. I kind of love them, but I also hate doing them to you guys. I've fallen victim to a few cliffhangers in my own time(*cough* Son of Zorn *cough*). I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! The competition was today. We did well, and I'm really proud of my group. I'll shut up now and let you guys read the chapter.

Leah twirled her drum sticks in her hands. "I think we can call that a wrap for today," Nora called, putting her guitar up. "I have another guitar lesson with Nick Saturday. Remember no practice tomorrow."

"Hitting those high notes is exhausting," Morgan said, rubbing her throat. "I don't see how Taylor does it."

"She does it because she's Taylor Metternich," Leah sighed. "Apparently, she's the most perfect person ever. I swear that girl's ego is bigger than Europe. Did you see what she posted on her Snapcatch story? It's just showing how flexible she can be, even in full costume."

"If you hate her so much, why do you want her in the band?"

"Because she's undeniably one of the most talented people in school, even though she's annoying," Leah said. Usually, when she was anxious, she hated being around people. After the threat that led to her coming out prematurely, band practice was the only thing bringing her joy.

"Do you want me to walk you to your car?" Nora asked.

"No thanks, I parked near the car," Leah said. With that, she left the music room. She walked to the parking lot, where she saw that Simon was still there. He wasn't alone, since, to her surprise, he was with Bram Greenfeld.

She couldn't hear the conversation, but she watched from afar. She wondered why Bram and Simon were meeting up. Sure, he sat at their lunch table, but they were never that close. He was mostly Nick and Garrett's friend.

Simon suddenly shoved him out of the way. Leah stepped closer until she saw a car. The car had slammed into Simon, sending him rolling over the car. Bram barely managed to avoid also being hit.

She ran over quickly, her phone vibrating in her back pocket. She pulled it out. It was another threat painted in red paint. This one only lightened up by a few candles, but it only lighted up the short message.

'Snitches get stitches. And you will too.'  
\---  
Play practice was canceled the next day out of respect. People thought it was possibly a drunk driver, but Leah and her bandmates knew better. Nora wasn't at school that day. Simon wasn't officially in a coma, but he had been out since the incident.

Cal entered the auditorium. He had left his earphones in there the previous day. The set for the upcoming production of "Oliver!" was coming together nicely. Opening night was set for the next Friday, but they were going to have a meeting on whether they should push it back. Simon being hit by a car had shaken up the entire school. No one thought that something like that could happen at school.

Cal entered the male's dressing room. His earphones were safely on a table, but he didn't care. Like Simon and Leah before him, he had received a threatening message. He clasped his hands over his mouth.

'You're next. Like Leah Burke, you couldn't decide. So you just to die, Cal.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Thanks for reading. You guys are the best. Interacting with you guys has helped with my social anxiety. I feel confident around you guys. Now, on with the chapter!

Leah closed her locker, Abby being behind the door. Leah always got butterflies in her stomach. She tried to suppress them with snark, but they always found away back. "Hey, do you have five dollars to spare?" Abby asked. "Ms. Albright got the idea to send some flowers to Simon's hospital room. It's mostly the theater club doing it, but she said the more the merrier."

"Sure, but I left my purse in my car," Leah said. "When is the money do?"

"Three, just get it to someone from the club during lunch," Abby said. Cal walked over to them. He seemed to be acting carefree but in a fake way. Leah could tell something was on his mind.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Cal asked, gesturing to Leah. "Alone."

Abby grew a little smirk. "Okay," Abby said. Leah knew that look. That look meant Abby thought something was going on between the two of them. Even though Leah thought it was obvious that Cal liked Simon.

Abby walked off. "I found this in the male dressing room in the auditoruim," Cal said, pulling out his phone. He pulled up a photo of the vandalism. "I figured you should see this since your mentioned."

"Crap," Leah said, examing the photo. "Have you shown this to anyone?"

"Yeah, the principal and police," Cal said.

"No," Leah shouted. Cal was surprised by the sudden outburst. "That was the worst thing you could have done! You're such an idiot! You just put your life in danger! You should have come to me first."

The last period bell rang. Leah figured they'd be late for class but decided this was more important. "What's going on?" Cal asked. "I thought going to the police was the smart move."

"You're not the only one who's been getting threats," Leah said. "Simon got one, and I got one shortly after. I don't think what happened to him was an accident. I think he was going to snitch and was silenced."

"How long has this been going on?" Cal asked.

"Simon got his message on Christmas," Leah said. "Shortly after he was outed. I got mine on the first day back to school. The only people who know about the theaters that I know are Morgan, Anna, and Nora. They saw the threat with me."

"What should we do?" Cal asked.

"We should probably tell the other LGBT students of the school," Leah said. "We should also find someone to protect you. You're probably the number one target right now. Are there any cameras in the male's dressing room?"

"No," Cal said.

"Great," Leah sighed. "But there probably is one in the music room. Supposing this is all done by the same person, this might lead us to the person that hit Simon. I'll try to find us a way to get that footage."

"And I'll try to warn the students," Cal said. "I know that there's Ethan, his boyfriend, Rochelle, and Tiffany. I'll find others and warn them. I say we meet up tomorrow for another talk to see our progress."

"Okay, can I get your number?" Leah asked.

"That would be a good idea," Cal said. They put their numbers into each other's phones before walking off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, I got a request from the lovely "Kendra189" to add some Spierfeld fluff next chapter, and I'll comply. So, yeah. See you guys later.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Behold, my attempt at writing hurt/comfort. I promised I would at the end of the last chapter, and I need more experience. Now, on with the chapter!

Abby was the one tasked with bringing the flowers to the hospital. She had run out during lunch to buy a card. She had raced around the school to get signatures from the club. She had gotten quite a few. Even a few people from outside the club signed the card. Ms. Albright had ordered some flowers, and Abby picked them up on her way to the hospital. It was now around four-thirty.

Bram had opted to join her. He still hadn't come forth as Blue to everyone else, but it was simply because he hadn't had the right time. He wondered what Simon was talking about. All he heard was something about a threat. He now wished he pushed more when they were at the bleachers. He thought maybe, just maybe, he could have stopped this.

They walked over to the receptionist. "We're here for Simon Spier," Abby said. "We're classmates."

"He's in room 307," the receptionist said.

"Thank you," Bram said. They walked over to the elevator. They climbed inside, and Abby hit the button for the third floor. The elevator moved quickly, and they were there in less than a minute. They quickly found the hospital room.

Simon was still out. His injured leg was propped up in a leg sling, and he had stitches on his partly shaved head. He had hit his head on the pavement, so he needed a bunch of stitches. "Should we just leave the flowers on the nightstand?" Abby asked.

"I'll just like to stay for a little bit," Bram said. Emily and Jack had gone to work, and Leah had picked up Nora earlier. "I'll find my own ride home if you need. I just want to stay a few extra minutes."

"I'll be outside," Abby said. She placed the flowers and card on the nightstand and stepped out. She shut the door to give them privacy. He didn't know what to say, so he just grabbed Simon's hand.

"Um, hello," Bram said. "I don't know what to say, but I heard comatose people can hear you. The school's pretty shaken up by what happened. There's a stain on the pavement, and I'm realizing this was easier when it was just emails. I wouldn't go back to them, though. I prefer seeing you face to face."

Simon slightly squeezed his hand. Bram had heard that wasn't uncommon for coma patients. It didn't mean he was about to wake up. "I meant what I said," Bram said. "I plan on coming out tomorrow. At least to our squad. I wish you could be there."

He felt tears starting to escape his eyes. "Please wake up," he pleaded. "I really miss you, Jacques. I love you."  
\---  
Sneaking into school was easy for Leah. There were still a few in school activities going on. The office was empty, but there were still some lights coming from the windows. She snuck into the security room.

She went to the computer. She found a sheet of paper that had the computer password on it. She typed it in, and she was taken to the home screen. "Open sesame," Leah said with a smirk. She opened the file that had footage from the music room from that week.0

She fast forward to the day she found the threat. Classes seemed to go by normally, but she figured it would. The fourth period was the only period where the room was empty. Once she got to the fourth period, a hooded figure entered the music room. Before she could see who it was, the screen went to static.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your continued support. This week I want to get a lot of writing done since this my week with no theater. I have spring production auditions coming up. It will be weeks of four pm days, but eventually, the days will get longer. Now, on with the chapter!

"Then the footage cut off," Leah said. She was sitting in the empty auditoruim with Cal. The auditoruim was usually empty during the second period, so it was the best place. They sat in a dark area of the room just in case any faculty entered. "I broke my own rule and told Garrett. He's promised to keep an eye on you until this all calms down. Of course from afar, so no one is suspicious."

"Thanks, but we know they're not afraid to attack when people are around," Cal said.

"It's still safer than you moving by yourself," Leah said. "We don't know if the previous attack was premeditated. It was quite sloppy, which is often a sign of it being last minute. They didn't even get out and pretend to care. They did a hit-and-run."

"This whole thing is messed up," Cal said.

"I know," Leah said. "Have you already given your place statement?"

"Yes, but they said they might bring me in for more questions," Cal said. "They might also bring you in."

"Figures," Leah sighed. "We need to keep up appearances. They already know we've tried to find out who they are, but we can't act like we have a plan. The musical is still on for next Friday, and you must continue to do your duties as stage manager. I'll also continue to practice with my band 'Emoji.'"

"You're in a band?" Cal asked.

"Yep, I'm the drummer," Leah said. "Taylor Metternich is the lead singer, Nora, Simon's sister, is the guitarist, Anna is the bassist, and Morgan plays the keyboard. We all do backup vocals. We're planning to perform at the talent show."

"I bet you guys are going to do great," Cal said.

"Thanks," Leah said. They were quiet for a few moments. The bell then rang. They left the auditoruim, and Leah went to her locker. Cal followed her since his locker was nearby. She quickly put in the combination.

Leah covered her mouth, holding in a scream. Taped to the back of her locker was a severed finger.  
\---  
His vision was blurry as his eyes opened. His head was pounding, but when he moved his hand someone stopped him. "Don't do that," a gentle voice said. "It might mess with the stitches."

So he kept his hand down. He saw that his leg was propped up, and he knew it was probably broken. "Welcome back, Simon," the gentle voice greeted.


	9. Chapter 9

The entire school now knew about the threats. People saw the police take the finger from the locker, and it was quickly shared on "Creekwood Secrets." They had taken the finger in for testing, and Leah had to answer a few questions.

Word also got out that Martin outed Simon. Most people didn't care, but he was shunned by most of the drama club. Leah was sitting at a booth at Waffle House with Abby and Nick. "You two are together?" Leah asked.

"Yeah, it happened on New Year's Eve," Abby said. "We just hadn't had the right time to tell anyone."

Abby and Nick were holding hands on the table. "I'm happy for you two," Leah lied. She wanted to be happy for them, but she couldn't. She wished she was holding hands with Abby, not Nick. So she put on a fake smile and acted like the cliche happy friend.

"Thank you," Abby said. She rested her head on Nick's shoulder. Leah's phone began to vibrate in Leah's pocket. She slipped it out of her pocket and saw that it was Nora. She had almost forgotten about the threats for an hour.

"It's Nora, I should take this," Leah said. She answered the phone quickly. "Hey, what's up?"  
\---  
Bram and Simon finally got a moment alone. Bram had skipped the fourth period to get here. He was draped over Simon's side that the leg wasn't broken. Simon had rested his head on top of Bram's. After months of just being emails, they were finally holding each other like they always wanted to do.

"Did you tell everyone?" Simon whispered. Simon had heard everything Bram said while he was in a coma. He wondered how Simon felt about the love confession he made. He decided to cross that bridge when it came.

"Yeah," Bram said. "I didn't make a large confession. I told our friends at lunch, and then I posted it on social media. It was small, but it was how I wanted. Did you hear the other thing? My little confession."

"Yeah," Simon said. "I love you too."

"Really?" Bram asked. "You don't think it's too soon?"

"We've been practically dating since September," Simon said.

"So we're dating now?" Bram asked, with a smirk.

"If you want to," Simon said.

"I mean," Bram said. "Once you're out of the hospital, I'd like to finally take you on a real date. It'd probably have to be somewhat private. Whoever is sending these threats has to know your awake now, and might strike again."

Simon seemed taken aback by that. How did Bram know about the threats? He didn't remember much from the day he was hit, but he remembered being hit right before he told him.

Bram noticed his confusion. "The whole school knows now," Bram said. "Leah got a threat, but I think you already knew that. Cal got a threat, and he went to the police. The student body found out when someone taped a finger to Leah's locker."

"Wait what?" Simon asked. He tried to sit up more, but then he remembered his leg was in a sling. Bram intertwined their fingers.

"I know you're worried, but you should lay low for a while," Bram said. "I almost lost you once. I'm not going to. We should leave this in the hands of the cops, and give them whatever information they need."

"Bram, what if they go after you next?" Simon asked. "I can't stand idly by and watch that happen."

"I'll worry about me later," Bram said. "I'm more worried about you."

Bram leaned in, and they shared their first kiss. It was sweet and passionate, but not steamy. They pulled away and made eye contact for a few moments. "So we're boyfriends now?" Simon asked.

"Yeah," Bram said. They noticed that Simon's phone lit up. It somehow didn't fully break, but it had a large crack in it. The camera was also broken. He lifted it up and saw it was from Instagram. It was a new message.

It was a photo of a threat painted in blood. It was light up, but he couldn't see where the light was coming from.

'You escaped me once. Beginners luck. Are you ready for round two?'

"I recognize this account," Simon said. "They've liked a bunch of the drama club's Instagram post."


	10. Chapter 10

Leah, Nick, and Abby arrived at the hospital room. Leah was doodling on Simon's leg cast with a sharpie. Abby was staring at the message Simon received. "Yeah, I noticed that they've liked a lot of our post," Abby said. "They never left a comment, and their account doesn't have any post."

"But why did they wait till now to strike?" Simon asked.

"And when will they strike again?" Bram asked.

"Okay, when did this happen?" Leah asked.

"When did what happen?" Simon asked.

"When did you two become so close?" Leah asked, putting the cap on her sharpie. "You guys weren't that close before this all began, but now you're sharing a twin-sized bed. Closeness like that doesn't happen overnight."

"It's a long story," Simon said. "We'll tell you later."

"I found something that may be nothing," Nick said. "You guys remember learning about the Creekwood fire of eighty-two?"

"Yeah," Simon said. The Creekwood fire happened at the old high school. The night of the school play, a fire started during intermission. Many people were taken to the hospital, but five people lost their lives that night. The school was completely unsavable, and it took them a year to build the new school.

"I found out that the play they were doing that night was Oliver!," Nick said. "It's probably just a strange coincidence."

"I thought they were doing Mac-," Leah said.

"Don't say that cursed word," Abby cut her off. "The school play is still next week. Tech week is stressful enough without a curse."

"You are aware that one of the most popular shows on Broadway says that word every night," Leah said.

"Still not taking any chances," Abby said, throwing her hands up.

"Anyway, that was made up," Nick said. "It was made up by conspiracists. All of the promotional pieces were burned in the fire, so they just assumed it was the Scottish Play. No one bothered to correct them."

"Did they ever find the cause of the fire?" Abby asked.

"It was believed a prop candle was knocked over," Nick said.

"But prop candles are rarely ever lightened up," Simon said.

"Just to be safe, we need to keep a close eye on the production," Leah said. "Go to all three performances. It might not be anything, but it's worth a shot. We can't mess this up."  
\---  
Play practice was going to last till eight that day. They were currently working on reblocking some of the numbers. They were now down an ensemble member, so they now had an odd number. Abby's understudy was filling for her, and so was Martin's, who hadn't been seen since word got out.

Cal walked onto the stage. "I have notes for the next seen," he said. He then heard something that sounded like rope moving. He turned to the left and saw an arrow. An arrow that was inches away from hitting him in the head, and killing him.


	11. Chapter 11

It was the first band practice of the week. There was no play practice, so Taylor was there. "So, have we chosen the song we're doing for the talent show yet?" Anna asked.

"The talent show has honestly been the last thing on my mind," Nora murmured.

"Same, but having a distraction would be nice," Leah said. "I say today we run through most of our setlist. Once we do that, we can decide which song is best. I say we start with 'Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin' by The Runaways. It's a great warmup song."

"Okay," Leah said. They then ran through that song. They then went into their next song, then their next. When Leah was playing the drums, she let out all of her frustrations on the drums. Her bandmates seemed to get really into it as well. It was the one time she and Taylor Metternich were in harmony.

Once they were done with 'Somebody to Love' by Queen, their phones vibrated. It was a news alert. "Oh my gosh," Anna said.  
\---  
Simon was released from the hospital that same day. They moved Simon's room into Jack's home office so he wouldn't have to travel upstairs. He had received more get well wishes from his classmates, and, luckily, no more threats on his end.

Simon and Bram were cuddling in his bed. Bram had his arm over Simon's shoulders, and they were holding hands. Simon rested his head on Bram's shoulder as they watched a movie. The door was cracked open, and the room was near the kitchen.

"I can't believe junior year went this way," Simon sighed.

"Me either," Bram said. Their phones both vibrated. It was texts, telling them to turn on the news. They quickly changed the channel and watched the news report. They were horrified at what they heard.

"Breaking news," the reporter said. "The severed finger found in high school junior Leah Burke's locker has been identified. It belongs to her classmate, Martin Addison. Addison has been missing since Tuesday, the day the finger was found."

Simon's face went blank. "Babe, you okay?" Bram asked. He didn't respond. All of his hatred for Martin was suddenly gone, and it was filled with a sudden urge to find him. He slung his legs over the side, cringing as his broken leg hit the ground. He reached for his crutches.

"Martin's in danger," Simon gasped out. He cringed as another sharp pain went through his leg. "We have to get to him before he's killed."

He didn't care at that moment how Martin blackmailed him. He didn't care that Martin outed him. He just cared Martin was in danger and had already been hurt. "You're in no state to go on a manhunt," Bram said.

Simon's own health was the last thing on his mind. He needed to make sure Martin was okay. His crunches were just out of reach, so he stood up. He grabbed his bed's falling to steady himself. After one step, he fell onto the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

The play was put off for a week. Ms. Albright debated canceling the play altogether, but the club convinced her otherwise. They barely got anything done at play rehearsal on Monday. A few people worked on fixing the set peace the arrow damaged. "Why was Martin targeted?" Abby asked. "I thought whoever was doing this had a sexuality motive, unless Martin's-"

"No," Cal said. "If he is, he wouldn't have outed Simon."

"Simon being outed feels like it happened a decade ago," Abby sighed. "It's only been a month, but so much has changed. There's going to be a search party for Martin tonight. Are you guys going?"

"I don't know," Cal said. "My parents have been strict about letting me out of the house. When I got that threat, I got almost locked in the house. They'll probably go, but forbid I attend."

"I know I'm going to attend," Leah said, entering the auditoruim. She was going to be a volunteer usher at the performances. "Even if you don't find any clues, you can tell a lot by whose there. Usually, the guilty party attends to look less suspicious. I'm going to make a list of everyone there. I've been watching my mom's true crime shows, and I've picked up on recurring themes for cases like this."

"But also expect the unexpected," Cal said.

"You're right," Leah said. "Usually, there are more layers in a crime like this. Maybe the kid's parents screwed the guilty party over in high school, but that seems unlikely here. The search party is meeting at the Starbucks in the mall if you guys can make it."

"Okay," Abby said. Then, Ms. Albright decided to finally get play practice going.  
\---  
Simon sat on his bed, doing his homework. He would return to school next week. His doctor said it would be better if he did this week at home since his head was still recovering from hitting the pavement. His hair had slowly started to grow back.

Bram was coming over after soccer practice to help him study. He couldn't pay attention to his homework since he found an online playbill for the original Creekwood production of 'Oliver!' An alumni had managed to save their playbill, and posted photos of it on Facebook for the twenty-year anniversary. It was a simple playbill, with the poster on the front, the cast list, and a few sponsors.

He recognized one of the names. Larry Cullen was the guy who played Fagan. He was now a janitor at the school after dropping out of the University of Georgia. He always seemed angry about something.

Emily poked her head through the doorway. "Bram's here," Emily said. "Remember to keep the door cracked open at all times. At least three inches."

"I will," Simon said. Bram walked into the bedroom and sat beside Simon on the bed. "Hello."

They shared a brief kiss before getting to work. Neither of them could focus, which was a rarity for Bram. He could usually study without a problem, even with his boyfriend cuddled into his side.

Two hours later, they finished up with Language Arts. They were about to move on when Leah called them. "She's at the search party, we should answer this," Bram said. Simon nodded and answered the phone.

"Hey, Le," Simon said.

"Simon, I have bad news," Leah said. "They found a body. And it was missing a finger."


	13. Chapter 13

The entire drama club was excused from the first period the next day. They met up in the auditoruim, and they sat on the stage. They sat in silence. A few people were on their phones others were staring off into nothingness. By now, everyone knew what was found at the search party.

Ms. Albright entered the auditoruim. She had obviously been crying. "Hey, guys," she said. "I'm sure you all heard what was found last night. I hope that none of you were there when they found the body. I was there, but I didn't get a glimpse at the body. They were bagging it up by the time I got to the front of the crowd."

"This might be a controversial choice, but I think we should go forward with the play," Ms. Albright said, wiping tears away from her eyes. "It's what Martin would have wanted. All proceeds from the play will go to paying for Martin's funeral."

"I'm opening up the rest of the period if anyone needs to talk," Ms. Albright said. "If you need to go to your first class, you may. If you just want to hang out, that's also okay. Maybe you have an assignment to do, or you want to run a scene. I just want this to be a chill safe place for the next hour and a half."

Everyone just returned to their own devices. Some people took Ms. Albright up on her off. Abby, Leah, and Cal snuck off into the girl's dressing room. Unless people were getting changed, no one was strict about who is in the dressing rooms. Cal made sure to shut the door.

"Simon told me that there's still someone from the original Creekwood production of Oliver! still lives here," Leah said. "Larry Cullen. He played Fagan in that production. It might not be connected, but Martin was also going to play Fagan."

"Why would we go after Martin for that?" Abby said. "But we need to find Larry and question him."

"Okay," Cal said. They quietly snuck out of the theater. No one noticed them leaving since they were too busy. They saw Mr. Cullen in the hallway, mopping the floor. He was an older gentleman with greying black hair and green eyes.

"Hey," Cal called. Mr. Cullen looked at him. "We have a few questions for you. I know you played Fagan the night of the fire of eighty-two. We just have a few questions, and it won't take long."

Mr. Cullen shook his head and walked off. A bottle of red spray paint fell from his cart. In the archway to the male's bathroom, there was a caution wet floor sign. "Do you think he did something?" Abby asked.

"One way to find out," Cal sighed. He entered the bathroom and looked around. Another threat was written over the stalls. All of the doors were closed, and appeared to be locked. It took a moment to see what the message was saying.

'Can't wait to see the play. Shame what happened to Martin, but I'm sure you'll make due. It's going to be an unforgettable night.'


	14. Chapter 14

Opening night for the show came quickly. They knew they needed to catch him in the act. Abby was backstage, getting into costume. Taylor was beside her, doing her makeup. "Break a leg tonight," Taylor said.

"You too," Abby said.

"So, you're friend Leah is bi?" Taylor asked.

"Yes," Abby said.

"Interesting," Taylor said, with a little smirk. She exited the dressing room as it dawned on Abby why she asked. She picked up her phone and clicked on Simon's contact. She knew he and Bram were already in the audience.

Abby: News flash: I'm ninety-ninety percent sure Taylor likes Leah.

Abby then put her phone down. She finished putting on her costume and then began her makeup. It was just basic stage makeup with black blush to make her look dirty. She then stepped out of the dressing room. "We're starting in five," Ms. Albright announced.

The backstage area was dark. Abby had spent enough time back here to be able to move around in the dark. A freshman was poking her head through the curtain, a theater faux pas. "It looks like we sold out the house," the freshman whispered excitedly.

Abby managed to forget what could happen tonight. She always lost herself in the theater. This show has been Abby's safe haven for the past few weeks, and she hated that it was only going to last for three days.

Ms. Albright walked onto the stage. "Good evening, I'd like to thank you all for coming to our show," Ms. Albright said. She then went into the regular spiel a director goes into before a show, and she mentioned how the proceeds we're going to paying for Martin's funeral. The audience burst into applause when she said that.

"Thank you, and enjoy Oliver!" Ms. Albright announced. She walked offstage as a second round of applause began. The curtain lifted, and the show began.  
\---  
The show went by well. All three shows went by without incident, which was a shock. When the final curtain was called at the Sunday matinee, everyone exhaled. Maybe, just maybe it was all over.

The cast party was Sunday night. The school was having its winter carnival, so that's where the party was going to be. The cast got wristbands so they could play the games and ride the rides for free.

Simon, Bram, Leah, Nick, and Abby were hanging out at a ring toss booth. Nick was trying to win a prize for Abby, who had already played and won a stuffed dolphin. "I'm still convinced you cheated," Nick said.

"Keep telling yourself that, babe," Abby said, kissing him on the cheek.

"I can't be the only one who thinks that this is a little sus," Leah said. "The killer made a big deal about the show. Then they never attack during the show. I'm glad that they haven't, but it doesn't make sense."

"Maybe Mr. Cullen is on to us, and know we were expecting him," Abby shrugged. She then saw a dark figure with some sort of bottle. It resembles a bottle that would have rat poison in it. The person was moving towards a slushie booth.

"I'll be right back," Leah said quickly. She stood up from the picnic table and followed the figure. The person seemed to sense her presence and moved faster. "Hey! I know what you're going!"

The person vanished. Leah looked around but soon felt someone grab her shoulder. There was then a sharp pain in her back. He pulled something out of her back, revealing a knife. Leah fell to the ground as he ran away.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying out a new format for this chapter. I'm making it kind of like a police report on the case. This story only has two more chapters left. Thanks for reading, and goodbye.

April 3rd, 2018

Crime report: The mysterious high school threats

By: Secret Agent Brian Oson

It's been months, but we finally put it all together. We discovered that the first threat didn't go to Creekwood, Georgia resident, Simon Spier. It went to Carter Addison, a student at Havard Law. He initially shrugged it off, thinking it was some jerk. His brother, Martin Addison, took things into his own hands though. He started his own investigation into who did it, but he got nowhere.

This leads us to the events of Christmas Eve, 2017. Martin made a post on Tumblr, outing Spier as gay. The reason for this we are still unaware of. The next day, Spier got a threat.

The students returned to school on January 3rd, 2018. On this day, another Creekwood High student, Leah Burke, got a threat. This was left in the school's music room, where she often practiced with her band 'Emoji.' Spier and Burke confined in each other, and they got another threat to keep them quiet.

The first time anything related to the case makes it to the police is the next day. This is when Spier is hit by a car in front of Burke and another student, Abraham Greenfeld. At first, it was believed to be a drunken hit and run.

The next day, Calvin Price received a threat. He actually reported this one to the police and soon teamed up with Burke. At the same time, Martin was getting close to figuring out who left the threat for his brother.

The culprit was Larry Cullen, a Creekwood High School alumni. Cullen found out that Addison was onto him. He developed the theory that he was working with Burke. He knocked Martin out and took him to a dump yard. He cut off one of his fingers, but Martin then woke up. Cullen beat him with a baseball bat until Martin was dead. His body was found in the nearby woods a few days later.

The day after Martin's murder, his finger was found in Burke's locker. This was when the entire story got out, and their classmates used the school's Tumblr to share theories. Spier woke up from a coma later that day. The next day, Price was almost murdered when an arrow was shot inches away from his head. The culprit runway before anyone could catch them. We found out later that it was Jermy Figgins, a hitman that Cullen often worked with.

On January 20th, it was the last performance of the school play. The cast celebrated at the school carnival. Cullen was going to strike again by poisoning the slushie machine, but Burke caught him. Figgins stabbed her in the back, but she survived and gave a description to the police.

Both men were arrested shortly after. A court date is being scheduled, and they're going to go for a life sentence.


	16. Epilogue

Simon opened his laptop. His home screen was him and his friends at their high school graduation. It was hard to believe that was only two years ago. They were now scattered across the country. Simon was attending Havard while Bram was at NYU, but they were making the long-distance relationship work.

He opened Skype and saw Leah was already logged on. He entered the call and saw Abby was with Leah. They were roommates at Georgia Southern together. "Hey, guys," Simon said.

"Hey, Simon," Leah said. "We miss you here."

"I miss you guys," Simon said.

"We miss you too," Abby said. She then went into a tangent about something that happened in her theater class. That's when Simon noticed Leah's sweatshirt. He had seen it before, but not on her.

"Is that Taylor's sweatshirt?" Simon asked. Taylor and Leah had been in an on-again-off-again relationship since junior year. Last Simon heard, they were off again. Leah said this time it was for real.

"Oh, do I have a story for you," Abby said. "I had a front-row seat to the entire show."

Before Abby could go into a full story, Bram joined. "Hey, babe," Simon said.

"Hey," Bram said. Nick, Garrett, and Cal soon joined the call. Everyone then started to catch up on the past week. They had the calls every week to catch up. They saved Wednesday for that. "Winter is coming up."

"Yeah, I can't wait to see you guys again," Abby said.

"We're still going to meet up at the Waffle House, right?" Cal asked. The others either nodded or said yes. "I have to go. I have a midterm tomorrow, and I want to cram in some last-minute studying."

"Yeah, I have work so I'm heading to bed," Leah said. "If you want to stay on, Abby, just put in your earphones. And plug-in my laptop this time."

"That was once," Abby said.

"Geeze, how do you two not end up killing each other?" Nick asked jokingly.

"We make it work," Abby said. The others started to log off until it was just Simon and Bram. Simon then realized he was wearing a hoodie that Bram had left there. Bram seemed to notice, as a smile crept onto his face.

"I've been thinking about transferring to NYU next year," Simon announced. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the others yet, but I wanted to check with you first. I don't know if I'd be overstepping a boundary, but I've thought about it. I've already looked at the application process."

"You know I'd love to have you here, but I don't want you just to transfer for me," Bram said.

"I figured you'd say that, but it might help me choose my major," Simon said. "There are some really interesting classes, and it could help me decide. I just wanted to get your opinion."

"Whatever you think is best, I support," Bram said.

"Thanks," Simon said. "It's getting late, and I have an early lecture. Goodnight babe. I love you."

"I love you too," Bram said. The call then ended, and a smile found its way onto Simon's face.


End file.
